Other Beliefs
by The Iliaddict
Summary: You all know Zia Rashid, your average scribe to the House of Life. Enter the story behind her family, specifically her mother's relatives and her twin brother, someone we should know if we've read the 39 Clues. HP and PJ definitely included.
1. Prologue

**(Hey, guys, did some editing here. Nothing to change the story; just some grammatical errors to be checked up on. I do not own The 39 Clues, Harry Potter, The Kane Chronicles, or Percy Jackson and the Olympians!)**

Prologue

"Take her to Iskandar," the goddess spoke shakily.

"Iskandar? From the House of Life? Those are completely different gods, Hecate! You're crazy!" the god next to her said. His winged sandals fluttered restlessly.

"Take my daughter to him, Hermes! He shall raise my daughter. We will raise my son," Hecate swept her sleek dark hair with her thin hand.

"Who is, 'we', exactly?" Hermes asked.

"Persephone. She will raise Odion," Hecate answered sharply.

"Why Persephone?" Hermes asked suspiciously.

"Never mind that. Go, now! Hera is coming," Hecate tensed.

"Wh-"Hermes began.

"Go!" Hecate urged. Hermes disappeared with a clap of thunder.

"What have you done?" Hera snapped. Hecate wheeled around, terrified. She was stunned with silence. The queen goddess stamped her foot in impatience.

"What do you have to say for yourself?" Hera raised her voice. No reply.

"Answer me, Hecate, or I swear on the River Styx, I'll-!" Hera let the threat hang in the air.

"What are you raving about now, Hera?" Hecate managed to sound indifferent.

"What am I- What am I _raving_ about, Hecate? Is that what you asked? Do not play dumb with me!" Hera shrieked.

"I have done nothing wrong," Hecate mumbled, losing confidence to Hera's glare.

"Do not lie to me. I am the goddess of childbirth, for Zeus's sake!" Hera growled. Thunder could be heard in the distance. "I sensed it, Hecate! I can sense children being born!" Hera continued.

"Why does it matter to you, anyway?" Hecate hissed.

"It matters because you have endangered us all! Mortals, included. I felt an extraordinary child be born on this night. Where is it?" Hera snarled.

"He. Where is he," Hecate corrected quietly.

"Go on, where is the child? Where is he?" Hera was growing more impatient by the minute.

"I gave him to Hermes. He was to bring him to the Underworld. To Persephone," Hecate whispered.

"Why Persephone?" Hera inquired.

"You know I helped Demeter find her when Hades took her. Demeter trusts me to watch over her when she is in the Underworld each year. I cannot interfere with my child. I only trust her to raise my son," Hecate explained.

"Why aren't you there now?" Hera questioned.

"I couldn't give birth with Hades around, Hera! He'd explode!" Hecate almost yelled.

"I'd like to see that," Hera sighed. She scrutinized Hecate; she could tell she was holding something back.

"I-I promised Persephone my next child," Hecate confessed," I didn't know my next would be such a, such a-" she searched for the right word.

"Mistake?" Hera suggested.

"-responsibility," Hecate finished. Her eyes narrowed at Hera.

"Please don't tell anyone, Hera," she pleaded.

"If you wanted to keep this a secret, why by Zeus did you tell Hermes? He's such a gossip!" Hera snapped. Thunder boomed.

"Do you really think I told him everything? You think that I am stupid? I didn't tell him who the child was born to!" Hecate snorted at Hera's foolishness. Hera ignored Hecate's last comment.

"What have you named the child?" Hera asked quietly.

"Odion," Hecate mumbled.

"Odion?" Hera echoed. "Not named after his puny mortal father?" She sneered.

"He is no Muggle," Hecate spat. Hera didn't reply.

"You should leave," Hecate muttered. Hera remained silent until she had walked to the cave entrance. She turned to Hecate.

"Your son is to be raised by Persephone. You will not interfere. Understood?" Hera threatened. Hecate nodded shakily.

"I'll be watching. I've toyed with enough godly spawn. You know what I'm capable of." Hera faded into the air. Back to Olympus. Hecate gulped.

"Hermes," she whispered. "Are you there?"

"Yes." Hermes appeared with a soft pop. He held a bundle of blankets in his arms.

"Is Odion with Persephone?" Hecate asked. Hermes's head snapped up.

"You named your son Odion?" His eyes widened. Hecate nodded gravely.

"That is a recipe for disaster! Everyone will know!" he exasperated.

"Only you, Hermes, would even bother to learn any language other than Greek or English. Athena maybe, but I doubt it. We never dared to enter their territory. Why would we learn how they speak?" Hecate crossed her arms, daring Hermes to object.

"Good point," he replied weakly. "But they will not be happy to learn that a child of a Greek goddess is on their turf, learning their secrets."

Hecate sighed and pulled back the blankets a bit to reveal a newborn child. Hecate gasped.

"The eyes?" her lip quivered. The baby's eyes were startling amber.

"From the magic," Hermes explained.

"Take her. Take her to her father," Hecate ordered. She leaned in and kissed her daughter on the forehead.

"Goodbye, Zia," Hecate whispered. She watched tearfully as Hermes departed with her daughter.

A girl with frizzy red hair stood over a cake covered with sixteen candles. She laughed as her friends began to sing:

"Happy Birthday to you." The girl blushed and giggled.

"Happy Birthday to you." The girl doubled over. Her friends assumed she was just laughing hard.

"Happy Birthday, dear Rachel." Rachel's eyes bugged out.

"Happy Birthday to you!" Rachel's friends all yelled the last line. Rachel straightened. Her green eyes looked even greener then, if that was even possible.

"You alright, Ray?" her friend, Annabeth, asked jokingly. When Rachel spoke, her voice sounded eerily magnified. Annabeth and her boyfriend Percy's eyes snapped to Rachel's face.

"_A child sent to a different certainty_

_will return to test the godly trinity._

_The godling child will bring forward_

_a group that shall cause haphazard. _

_All gods have waited for the connection_

_that shall come to be this dangerous complexion."_

Once Rachel had finished, she collapsed. Right unto her birthday cake.

**(Thanks for reading, please review!)**


	2. Chapter 1 Mute Button

**(Authors' Note: Hullo, all! Please read & review! SPOILERS FOR THE RED PYRAMID IF YOU HAVEN'T READ IT, _Dove, Klbooks..._**

**Also, my wonderful reviewers: Thank you all of you! Your comments mean alot! Thank you, ShootinStar, for promoting environmental help! Go Green, everybody!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Kane Chronicles, Percy Jackson and the Olympians, the 39 Clues, and/or Harry Potter!)**

Chapter One

Mute Button

The second I closed my eyes I was falling. Falling. I fell right into my worst nightmare: my memories. I landed roughly on my back in a familiar village. I saw my father run towards me; he held a miniature red statue aloft.

"Zia! Look what I found, Zia!" he called to me, praising his newfound artifact. I smiled and leaped to him.

"What does it do?" I asked curiously. My father set the rare statue on the sandy ground. It was shaped like an ancient monster.

"I don't know. But look here, Zia." He indicated to a small pyramid shaped necklace around the monster's long neck.

"I don't understand," I told him. I shrugged at my father's expectant expression. He pulled out his wand and began prodding the pyramid necklace.

"It looks like it could be opened," he explained. I waited anxiously for my father to try to open it.

"_Alohomora!" _He tapped the pyramid. The statue exploded. The scene changed.

My village was in flames. There was my father again, running towards me. It was different this time though. He was running for his life this time. Dark shadows chased him. I screamed. He didn't hear me. I don't even think I was really there, just watching from a ways away. I felt invisible.

My father gasped for breath. He pivoted on his left foot to face his predators. Then, he saw me. He raised his wand high over his head.

He muttered something under his breath and pointed his wand at me. I was blasted off my feet. I flew backwards, but I wasn't hurt. My father's shield charm was keeping me protected. I stood and watched in horror as black shadows enveloped my father. I banged my fists against the force field. I called to my father. No response. I heard a final scream from my father. My protection dropped. The shadows fell away from my father and turned on me.

I saw my mother running to me. I yelled at her to stay away. I didn't want her hurt. She stepped in front of me right as the shadows came close. She held up one hand and they disintegrated. I coughed; the black smoke produced from my mother was choking me. She picked me up and ran with me. My mother looked around wildly for somewhere to hide me. She found a fire pit and conjured cold water to wash it out. She set me inside and covered me with reeds. She told me to keep my head down.

But I poked my head out anyway to see her. She stared down at me and told me she'd always be there for me. She faded away, like smoke. First her feet, then fading away all the way up until just her face was visible. I watched, silent and bewildered. The scene around us disappeared. I fought to keep her face in my head. The setting changed and I was floating. I looked down at my hand, but I didn't have one. Of course, I was half chicken.

"Who will watch her now?" a masculine voice asked.

"Chiron. I do not think I can trust Desjardins. Only Iskandar I trusted," a feminine voice whispered.

I almost called out; it was my mother's voice! Instead, I kept quiet. Who was Chiron? And what was with the 'trusted'? Did my mother no longer trust Iskandar? Wait, how does my mother even _know_ Iskandar? She's dead! These thoughts swirled in my head. I had to focus to keep up with my mother's conversation.

"Who will take her? Or will she take a portal? She knows how to do those by now, right?" the man asked.

"I don't care, Hermes, we just can't let Hera know!" my mother hissed. I had never heard my mother sound so scared.

"By Zeus, you really think I'd tell her? I'm still mad at her for calling me a gossip!" Hermes huffed. I almost laughed. Apparently my mom knew a bunch of people with the names from Greek myths! What were their parents _thinking?_

"Get over it. That was _fourteen years ago!_" My mother shook her head in annoyance.

"We could get a satyr," Hermes suggested. I was seriously thinking of laughing, but I suppose I guessed it was just a dream. I went 'with the flow'; at least I think that's the expression.

"No, send the best," my mother protested.

"I think she's busy watching her kids. Have you seen them yet? They are so adorable! Poseidon is so proud. Athena, not so much," Hermes informed my mom. He almost squealed in excitement at the thought of the babies.

"And you thought you weren't a gossip…" my mother said under her breath. Hermes ignored that.

"I'll try to reach her; she pretty much lives at camp with her family now, right?" he asked. My mother nodded. Hermes reached into his pocket and pulled out a green and silver striped cell phone. He spoke to it.

"Martha, George, have any drachmas on you?" he asked. And I thought his parents were crazy for naming him after a myth. He was talking to his _phone!_

_I think so. Hang on, let me check._ A female voice said in my head. I almost fell out of the air. I mean, my _ba_ has had some fairly strange trips into the Duat as I have slept, but this was just abnormal. The green stripes on Hermes's phone moved. Wiggled, rather.

"Hermes, do those pets of yours have a mute button?" my mother asked. I could see she was pinching the bridge of her nose like she had a headache. Hermes shrugged.

_Do _you_ have a mute button? _a raspy male voice hissed in my head.

My mother glared while Hermes chuckled good-naturedly. The two green stripes wiggled some more and soon Hermes held a gold coin in his hand.

"Rainbow please, Iris," Hermes spoke to the ceiling. A miniature rainbow appeared before him.

"Thank you. Now, Annabeth Jackson, Camp Half-Blood," Hermes voiced as he flipped the gold coin into the air.

My dream dissolved. I awoke in cold sweat on my floating cot. I pulled the covers back and jumped out of bed. I walked over to the sink in the corner of the room and filled a glass with water. I drank from the glass as I padded down the hall to Iskandar's room. I wondered vaguely if he was asleep. He had been coming in late from the First Nome these days to check on me. I stepped as silently as I could into Iskandar's room.

Yeah, he was there all right, sitting at his desk. He looked asleep from where I was standing and he had left his candle on. Huh, that's weird. Iskandar knows to extinguish a candle or torch after using it; they could easily lead to fires.

"Iskandar?" I asked uncertainly. No response. I guess he was asleep. I supposed I better wake him up so his ba wouldn't wonder into the Duat. I fluffed his small protective pillow and tapped him on the shoulder to wake him.

"Iskandar?" I repeated. Still no response; he's heavy sleeper. I sighed and closed my eyes in concentration. I opened my palm and a blue hieroglyph burned above it.

"Awaken," I translated. I felt the surge of power course through me. I stared expectantly at Iskandar. He didn't move a muscle. Then I noticed something, something that almost scared the magic right out of me.

Iskandar wasn't breathing.

**(Thank you for reading, please review!**

**Edit 12/23/10 - Also, I've been doing some dialogue editing, and I'm almost done. I promise to have my future chapters beta'd!)**


	3. Chapter 2 Adrenaline

**(As of 12/23/10, some editing was done on this chapter, as well! I'm hoping to finish soon, so I can post the next chapter. So, hopefully later tonight. Please read and review!)**

Chapter Two

Adrenaline

I was living in a daze. Iskandar's sudden death had left me reeling. I shuffled my feet as I walked the busy streets of Cairo. As lost as I was with the pain of losing Iskandar, my dream was even more confusing. I tried to focus more on the street signs than my feeble thoughts. It proved to be a difficult feat, but not impossible. I pulled a letter out of my linen pants pocket. I had received it from an owl, the wizarding form of delivery I had not seen in a long time. I glanced warily at the letter. It read:

Z-ah Rajed,

Plese com to teh Caro Arport. Com alon.

I winced at the awful spelling. From what I could gather, I was to go to the Cairo Airport. I had brought my ivory wand with me for protection; I had no idea what was coming. I stared at the symbol at the bottom of the letter. It looked sort of like the letter 'I' in hieroglyphics, but was more detailed and sort of ancient looking. I didn't know anyone with a name beginning in the letter I at the time, besides Iskandar, but that would be impossible. I cautiously walked over the airport threshold.

I scanned the crowds for any familiar face. Not a single one. I was about to give up when I saw a tall woman with blonde hair looking around anxiously. She wore an orange t-shirt with something in black letters printed across the front. She was fingering an intricately beaded necklace and biting her lip with a worried expression on her face. I would have missed her completely if she hadn't been holding a large white piece of paper with now-familiar handwriting on it.

Z-ah Rajed.

I walked cautiously towards the woman, my hand tight on my wand in my back pocket. She didn't _look_ dangerous, but I never could be too sure. She almost smiled when she saw me.

"Zia Rashid?" she asked. I nodded expectantly. She grinned in relief.

"Come with me." The woman turned on heel and started walking. She beckoned with her arm for me to follow. I had to run to keep up with her. She ducked into the ladies' bathroom. I followed.

"Zia, I believe I've been waiting for you," the woman said. I raised an eyebrow.

"You believe? How can you _think_ you've been waiting for me? It's a yes or no kind of statement," I told her. She laughed, and I realized how beautiful she was. She was maybe in her late twenties or early thirties. Her gray eyes pierced into me expectantly.

"Easy," she said. "I don't know if you're the one or not." I was still considerably confused. "I'm Annabeth Jackson." The woman held a hand out. I shook it hesitantly.

"Zia Rashid. But I guess you already know that," I mumbled.

Annabeth grinned. She turned to the toilets.

"Your father was a wizard, correct?" she asked. I nodded, but then remembered she wouldn't be able to see that if her back was turned.

"Yes," I answered quietly.

"Great, so you'll be familiar with wizarding transportation, correct?" Annabeth inquired, turning to glance at me.

"Some. Like broomsticks and disapparating," I murmured.

"Well I don't have any broomsticks and I'm not a witch, so I can't disapparate. You're not a witch, are you?" Annabeth asked me. Wait, how can she know about this magic stuff and not be magical herself?

"I'm not sure. I am a magician of the House of Life." Oh! _Why_ did I just say that? That was highly classified! I just couldn't stop from saying it. I felt like I could trust this Annabeth Jackson person. Annabeth just nodded and looked the bathroom stalls over once more.

"Now, as I said, I am not a witch. But," she glanced at me again, "I do have some friends who may be willing to help out. Luna?" Annabeth asked no one in particular. That I could see, anyway. There was a soft pop and a woman a little bit older looking than Annabeth appeared.

"Hello, Annabeth Chase," the woman said softly. Her voice sounded so far away. I almost shuddered.

"Hello, Luna, how is your father?" Annabeth asked politely.

"Oh, he's fine," Luna answered breezily. "He's almost done with your ordered magic weapons."

"What, wands?" I asked, confused. Luna laughed lightly.

"Wands should not be used as weapons, Zia Rashid," she answered. I was not at all surprised she knew my name. I pulled out my ivory wand and looked it over. I used my wand as a weapon daily.

"Oh, that is a quite curious wand, Zia Rashid." Luna cocked her head. "May I?" She pulled out a wand made out of… wood? What good could a wooden wand do? And it was straight, like any other stick. I somewhat reluctantly handed her my wand.

"What a curious shape," Luna commented. She traced her thin hand over my boomerang-shaped wand.

"Luna?" Annabeth called somewhat impatiently.

"Oh, of course. Sorry. Here." Luna handed me back my wand. Luna walked over to the toilets and started waving her weird wooden wand while whispering something I couldn't hear. It didn't help that Annabeth leaned in and whispered in my ear.

"Luna works in London in a wand shop. She is very interested in the wands that she has not created. Her father, Xenophilius, makes magic items for demigods."

"Demi-what?" I was bewildered by the term.

"Demigods," Annabeth repeated. "My people," she added.

"That clears everything up," I muttered.

"Don't worry; Chiron will explain everything," Annabeth assured me. The name sounded familiar. My dream!

"Chiron?" I echoed. Annabeth's eyes widened as she realized I had heard of him before.

"You've been having dreams, haven't you?" She grinned expectantly. I nodded uncertainly.

"Ooh!" Annabeth squealed. "Wait 'til Percy hears this!" She clapped her hands excitedly. We heard a faint pop. We looked up and saw that Luna was gone.

"Thank you, Luna," Annabeth and I said simultaneously. Annabeth grinned down at me. She stepped towards the toilets, which were … shining?

"Don't tell me she came here to clean the toilets," I said incredulously. Annabeth laughed.

"No, she didn't." She laughed again. Her laugh was nice. My expression remained incredulous as I watched her stepped _into_ the toilet.

"You coming?" she asked. She pointed to the stall next to her. I walked in and locked the door as Annabeth did. She was tall enough to see me looking confused at the toilet in my stall.

"Go on, step up! I need to get to the Ministry before noon," Annabeth told me. I nervously stepped onto the toilet water. I was ready to fall ankle deep into the water, but my feet stayed put as if the water was floor.

"Now what? And what's the Ministry?" I turned to look up at Annabeth.

"Second question later, first question now. Lift your left foot out and step on the flusher," Annabeth told me. I was about to protest, but there wasn't anyone to protest to. Annabeth was gone. I heard the toilet flush in her stall. I was scared and confused. Maybe I was still dreaming. For whatever reason, I lifted my left foot and stepped down on the flusher. The water below me swooshed and I was swept away. I screamed, not sure if it was because I was frightened, or because I was having the best adrenaline rush I had ever had.

**(Thank you for reading, please review!)**


	4. Chapter 3 Presence

**(Sorta short chapter here guys, but I hope you like it! Disclaimer: I do not own the 39 Clues, Harry Potter, Percy Jackson and the Olympians, or the Kane Chronicles.)**

Chapter 3

Presence

It was brilliant. It only lasted for a second, but I loved it. I tumbled clumsily out of a large bricked area. I hit my head hard on the floor. I was just able to see Annabeth running towards me looking worried before I blanked out.

I was suddenly in an unfamiliar room. Huh, that's odd. I never dream when I get knocked out, not that I faint a lot. But I guess it was just an unconsciousness thing. I don't know how it happened, but it happened. My _ba _stood shakily. I began to float, so naturally, I was part chicken, part Zia.

The room was fairly large, and very dark. Actually, I doubt it even was an inside room; it seemed more like a garden to me. Dark flowers grew erratically about lattice that hung gracefully around the area. The place seemed somewhat depressing, but it was beautiful. A marble fountain was centered in the garden and deep red liquid flowed from it.

Two women stepped into the garden from different sides. They seemed to know each other.

"I have returned," one said. My head snapped up because I recognized the voice. It was my mother's.

"Is it really you?" another woman asked. I didn't know the voice. This woman had pale skin and dark hair. From where I hovered in mid-air, I could see that her eyes were made up of many colors. Like the garden, she looked beautiful, but seemed depressed. The other woman I supposed was my mother, but I could not tell for she was wearing a hooded deep blue cloak.

"Yes, it is I! Who else would it be?" my mother almost shouted.

The pale woman ran toward my mother. "Where have you been?" she clutched my mother's shoulders. She began to cry. My mother stroked her hair and whispered words of comfort.

"I wasn't gone that long," she said. The pale woman looked at my mother in outrage.

"_Fourteen years._ You left me down here alone for four months each year for fourteen years! I thought you were my friend!" she bellowed.

"Fifty-six months is not a long time for us," my mother whispered in response. The other woman snorted.

"I had to have my husband bring my mother down, I was so lonely. Why did you even come? Do you even have anything to say to me?" she exasperated.

"I have missed you," was all that my mother said. The other woman huffed.

"You weren't totally alone. You had my son," my mother whispered. _What did she just say? She has a son?_ My thoughts raged. _I have a brother?_ The pale woman twisted her fingers hesitantly. That didn't go unnoticed.

My mother threw back her hood, but she did not look much like I had remembered. Her hair was so dark and curly, it seemed purple and her eyes had a strange yellow tint in them.

"Persephone, where is my son?" My mother grabbed Perse's shoulders tightly. Persephone winced.

"I-I couldn't watch him! Hades knew I was hiding something!" she trembled. My mother screamed in outrage.

"What have you done with him?" she yelled.

"He-he is safe. He is with mortals," Persephone whispered.

"Safe? _Safe?_ The mortal world is not a safe place!" my mother shrieked. Persephone was silent.

"My…my Odion…" my mother whispered. She wept. I gaped at her tears. Persephone tensed.

"Hades is coming!" she informed my mother. "Run!"

My mother disappeared in a clap of thunder just as another dark figure appeared with his own thunderclap.

"Persephone, my dear, who was that?" he hissed. His eyes flared.

"Oh, just my mother," Persephone lied easily.

"Your mother? But I was just fighting with her!" the man growled.

"Hades, honey, calm down. We can be in more than one place at once, honey." Persephone appeared to be in pain whenever she called her husband 'honey'. Fortunately, he didn't notice. He tensed as Persephone did earlier.

"Someone is here. I sense a presence!" he whispered. He closed his eyes and put two fingertips to his temple. Then his arm spun right towards where I was floating.

"Be gone!" he yelled. A hazy red beam shot from his pointer finger and I was blown away. My _ba_ landed softly into my own body.

Annabeth shook me awake.

"Zia, wake up," she said. "We have important business with the Ministress! We can't be late!"

I lazily stood up, but slumped back down; I had a major headache. Annabeth caught be before I could hit my head again. She laid me down gently on the cold floor. I gazed upward at the mass of bricks I had tumbled out of and I saw that it was actually a fireplace. Many fireplaces, all lined up.

I groaned as I lifted my head to look at Annabeth. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a small plastic baggy. From it, she pulled a small square… something.

"Eat it," she said. I did as I was told. It tasted like all the most wonderful foods I had ever tasted. I instantly felt better. Annabeth sighed in relief.

"Great! You didn't combust!" she whooped. I looked strangely at her.

"Combust?" I asked.

"Never mind," she told me. She stood and helped pull me up from the floor.

"Come on now; we don't have all day." And with that she sped down a long hallway leaving me to catch up with her.

**(Edited as of 12/23/10. ^^)**


	5. Chapter 4 Connection

**(Authors' Note: Hullo, all! Please read & review! SPOILERS FOR THE RED PYRAMID IF YOU HAVEN'T READ IT, _Dove, Klbooks..._**

**Also, my wonderful reviewers: Thank you all of you! Your comments mean alot! Thank you, ShootinStar, for promoting environmental help! Go Green, everybody!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Kane Chronicles, Percy Jackson and the Olympians, the 39 Clues, and/or Harry Potter!)**

Chapter 4

Connection

"Tell me about your dreams," Annabeth ordered as we walked down the never-ending hallway. If I hadn't walked down the Hall of Ages so many times, I probably wouldn't have had the stamina to keep up with Annabeth.

"My dreams?" I echoed.

"You heard me. I know you've been having them," she said, not even breaking a sweat. Luckily, I am good at multitasking when it comes to walking and talking. Apparently, Annabeth was, too.

"Come on, _everyone_ has dreams. Why do my dreams, specifically, matter to you?" I inquired.

Annabeth groaned in impatience. "Look," she said." I know for a fact you already know dreams of a scribe in the House of Life aren't ordinary."

Now it was my turn to groan, in defeat. I guessed Annabeth pretty much knew everything. I can't say I was too happy with being confronted by this woman I barely knew. When I didn't respond, Annabeth continued speaking:

"Just tell me what your _ba_ did." Gods she was being so upfront! I remained silent.

She chose her words carefully now. "Most de- of us," she caught herself. On what, I wasn't sure. She began again. "Most of us don't notice our_ ba_ forms when we sleep. We are too focused on the dream itself. You, being raised in the House of Life, have come to realize your feathery form."

"Uhh… right." I tried to keep up in both walking and talking. She wasn't making much sense. Who was 'us'?

"Zia Rashid, tell me what you have seen!" Annabeth's hand flew up to her mouth.

"'Seen'?" I asked skeptically.

"Dream, I said dream," Annabeth insisted. I folded my arms.

"You did not." I glared at her. I did not appreciate not being let in on whatever the heck she was going on about.

"Fine, I said seen," Annabeth muttered. We now stood in front of two large stone doors. She didn't say anything else. We glared at each other.

"What time is it?" I asked nonchalantly. Annabeth reached into her pocket, I guess for a cell phone, to check for me. She was still glaring.

_Create the connection. _I heard a soft voice whisper in the back of my mind. I groaned internally. So my little friend was back.

_Salutations, Useful Goddess, _I said sarcastically.

_I bet I'm not being very useful now, eh? _the voice replied.

_Not really. But it's not your fault; Annabeth is confusing_, I thought back.

_No worries, child. I can help. I already told you. Create the connection_, she responded.

I sighed. Usually my godly (goddessly?) friend got along pretty well, but now she was being just as befuddling as Annabeth was.

_And how_, I asked, _do I do that?_

_Easy. Whom do you wish to see the most? _she asked. I thought about that.

_My father. My mother. Whichever. Both. Please?_ I suggested.

_Feeling greedy today, Zia? Oh well, I'll pick from the two_,the goddess chuckled. My vision blurred. My eyes were forced shut.

_Nephthys, are you still there?_ I asked tentatively. No response. I shrugged and opened my eyes. Annabeth wasn't there anymore. What a relief. I stood in the corner of a room with midnight blue walls. The walls sparkled like stars. I soon realized that it was not a wall at all, but a starry nighttime scene. I looked down. Thankgodsfully, I wasn't part chicken. But how was I in the air, then? I tapped my foot on the sky and felt it swirl beneath me.

"Please refrain from doing that. It hurts my stomach," a voice said. I jumped up in fright.

"Ow!" the voice exclaimed. Apparently, my landing from the jump didn't go unnoticed.

"Who are you?" I asked aloud.

"Nut. Forgive me, but I must drop you now," the voice informed me. The invisible platform under my feet dropped. I would have screamed, but my lungs felt like they were somewhere near my knees, so I couldn't utter a single thing. I watched in terror as I flew past lightning bugs, street lamps, airplanes, and finally, the Earth.

I landed with an "Oof!" on my backside in a garden I recognized. A woman in a midnight blue cloak stood there. Mom! I ran towards her, but was thrown back. The second time I came close, I was thrown back as well.

_Not too close, Zia_, My goddess spoke in my mind.

_You!_ I screamed. No response. I decided I would have to watch my mother from a distance.

I had been so focused on my mother; I didn't even notice she wasn't alone. A boy of about my age, with a similar skin tone, spoke to my mother in _ba _form. Ha! At least I wasn't the one dressed up as a chicken this time! My amusement immediately became anger for my mother rushed up to the boy and gave him a big hug. And get this: _HE REJECTED HER! _I crave daily for a loving hug for my mother. I wished I remembered the word for 'destroy' in Egyptian, because I swear, that boy was toast.

My mother turned tearful at his rejection.

"What is wrong, little one?" she asked him. He frowned.

"You must be mistaken. I do not know, nor have I ever known you," he spat. He looked at my mother as if she was something the cat dragged in.

"You, you don't know me?" My mother's expression showed clear pain. The boy was indifferent.

"No," he replied coldly. My mother looked as if he had struck her. Then her sorrow became anger. I wondered if she suffered from being bipolar, like me.

"Persephone!" she screamed the name I knew well now.

My vision blurred and Annabeth was still glaring at me. "Five minutes until we're late. Let's go," she muttered.

I frowned. Did it really take her that long to check her phone? I must have been away in my vision for at least ten minutes!

Annabeth showed no tolerance for my questioning look. She grabbed my arm, tightly, and pulled me through the large doors. I barely felt the pain Annabeth was sending up my arm. I was too lost pondering what I had just seen.

**(Edited as of 12/23/10)**


	6. Chapter 5 Squib

**(Author's Note: Wow, sorry, guys! Long time no update... :/ But I am updating now! :D I had some help from Joelle8 for the speech of a certain character, which I will name during the chapter and after, so as not to spoil. ;) Please read & review!)**

Chapter 5

Squib

"Miss, uhh," I fumbled for the correct name to call my new companion. I thought in my head of her as Annabeth, but Iskandar had taught me to always be polite.

"It's Mrs. Jackson, but Annabeth works as well as anything," Annabeth put in, pulling her curly blonde hair untidily into a loose hair tie.

"Alright, then, _Mrs._ Annabeth Jackson," I corrected myself. I saw Annabeth grin happily at the sound of the name," Who, exactly is this Ministress person?" I asked.

"Well, she's sort of… odd, you know? Not Luna odd, but as strange as they come," Annabeth looked around as if to make sure no one was listening. No one was. The corridor seemed large enough for many people to fit in it, but Annabeth and I were the only ones present.

"How is she odd?" My eyebrows scrunched up.

"Well, funnily enough, she doesn't use magic. Yet she knows everything about it. She's a Squib." Annabeth whispered her last word as if it was tabooed.

"A what?" I had heard my father use the term before, but I tend to try not to think too hardly about him; it hurts to. I fail miserably.

"A Squib," Annabeth repeated. "A person born into a wizarding family without any magical powers."

"Oh. Like you?" I asked. Annabeth looked slightly offended.

"Me? No! My father is a professor, not a wizard!" Her tone was harsh, but she smiled down at me none the less.

"And your mother?" I prompted, not realizing Annabeth couldn't just talk about her mother willy-nilly.

"My mom? She…uh, well we're not talking now." Annabeth's face was expressionless.

"Why?" my curiousness got the better of me.

"Her job makes it hard for us to stay in contact."

"What's her job?" Darn curiosity! Stop!

"Not going to talk about it, Zia," Annabeth heaved a sigh.

"Alright," I was planning on staying quiet for the remainder of our walk down the long hallway, but Annabeth's question broke my silence.

"What about your mom?" she asked innocently.

"My…my mother?" I repeated.

"Exactly. Touchy subject, right?" Annabeth winked. I frowned. What did she know about me?

At long last, we had reached the end of the corridor.

"Ladies first," Annabeth smiled.

"Ha ha," I rolled my eyes, as I not-exactly-confidently pushed open one of the two large doors in front of us.

* * *

"Annabeth!" A large man grabbed Annabeth as soon as we walked into the next room. He was massive; his grip seemed to be suffocating Annabeth. I whipped out my wand, preparing myself for battle. The tall, not to mention heavyset, man backed off when he saw my wand.

"Whoa, there!" he huffed, releasing Annabeth hastily. Annabeth's eyes widened as well when she saw me getting ready to cast a spell.

"Whoa!" she echoed the massive man's words. "Zia, calm down!" she put a hand on my shoulder, no doubt telling me to drop the wand. I harrumphed, defeated.

"And who might you be, sir?" I inquired, turning to the giant of a man standing next to me.

"Rubeus Hagrid," he answered weakly, nervously patting his wild beard. I arched an eyebrow.

"A good friend of mine," Annabeth supplied. Only then did I shove my wand into my back pocket, where it had come from.

"So, Annie, why're yer here?" Hagrid turned to Annabeth.

"Visiting the Ministress," Annabeth replied. Hagrid took in a sharp breath.

"Ah, well, err, I just wen' t' see 'er. She, ah, idn't exactly in a good mood today, eh?" Hagrid mumbled.

"What do you mean?" I frowned.

"She righ' tried t' kill meh, tha's fer sure." Hagrid shoved his enormous hands deep into his gargantuan overcoat. I laughed, not realizing that Hagrid was dead serious.

"Right, well, hopefully Zia here can put her in a better mood," Annabeth assured Hagrid.  
"What? Zia is staying out of this!" I quickly defended myself.

"Ah, alrigh'. Just don' get yerself hurt, Annie," Hagrid shuffled his feet. Annabeth nodded good-naturedly. Hagrid patted her back, then my head, to my dismay; it felt like a boulder had just round-house attacked my brain. He gave us one last apologetic smile and walked off, hands once again deep in his overcoat. As soon as he was far enough away, I snapped at Annabeth.

"What's this with _Zia_ making the Ministress happy?" I complained.

"Don't worry, she'll like you!" Annabeth promised.

"Can you testify?" My eyes narrowed.

"Well, you see, about that, Zia…" Annabeth muttered.

"Jackson!" I roared. I like to call people by their last names when I'm mad at them. I feel it gives me a sense of authority. To my surprise, Annabeth laughed.

"It is _so_ funny to hear that phrase not directed at Percy!" She shook with laughter, and I guess, happiness.

"Percy?" I asked.

"In good time, you'll meet Seaweed Brain," Annabeth grinned. She gestured for me to follow her down yet another hall.

_Seaweed Brain? What an idiotic nickname…_ I was glad I decided to keep that thought in my head; later I would learn how defensive Annabeth was of Percy.

"Here we are," Annabeth pointed at a metallic door before us. The door had the letter L printed unto it, surrounded by two intertwined snakes that we wrapped around a sword-like post. You don't see that every day. Annabeth noticed it, too, and it sounded like she said something like 'Hermes', but then she shook her head, reconsidering. I glanced back at the door.

Annabeth watched me expectantly.

"What, you're not coming in?" I asked her, taken aback.

"Well yeah, of course I'm coming in," she responded.

"Go ahead," I backed off to let her open the door.

"Like I'm going to face the wrath of the Ministress." Annabeth looked at me like I was insane.

"You're not throwing me into the lion's den, are you?" My eyes widened.

"Not at all. You're just going in first," Annabeth concluded.

"Oh, I see. You're not brave enough?" I sort of smirked. That hurt my face. I hadn't smirked in a while, considering I hadn't had any one to talk to save Iskandar. I wouldn't smirk at him.

"I've heard she likes to keep company with vicious animals. Spiders." Annabeth shivered at the word.

"Humph." Came my response. I proceeded to knock on the door, to Annabeth's surprise.

To _my_ surprise, she looked grateful.

"Thanks," she whispered.

"Anytime," I muttered back as I opened the door.

* * *

The Ministress sat at a desk in the corner of her office. She had short blonde hair and a scowl that matched her flaming temper. As a scribe of the House of Life, I am required to be observant; I noticed that she had small pinpricks protruding from under her fingernails. She assessed me quietly, daring me to speak first. Her eyes twitched as she eyed my wand, which was still haphazardly placed in my back pocket.

Thankfully, Annabeth, having realized that the office wasn't inhabited by spiders, spoke first. "The gods come in peace, Ministress Spasky."

**(Author's Note: Alright, done! Thanks for reading! Also, Joelle8, or Jo, as she is usually called, helped me with the speech (actually, she did most of the work) of a Mr. Rubeus Hagrid. Thank you so much, Jo! I can't wait to update soon, so please stay tuned, all. Once again, thanks for reading, please review!)**


	7. Chapter 6 Unbreakable

**(Author's Note: Hi, guys! Sorry I didn't update yesterday, I went to a play at a high school that I'm looking at. I would've updated this morning, but I was at an open house for another high school. Enough with my life stories, though, and on with the next chapter! Please read and review!)**

Chapter Six

Unbreakable

"Chase, is it?" the Ministress asked Annabeth.

"Jackson, actually," she corrected.

"Humph." The Ministress frowned as she adjusted her nails. She glanced at me for a second, shrugged, and went back to examining her pointy fingernails. Her twisted expression sent a flash through my mind, forcing me to question her.

"Have I seen you before?" I asked.

The Ministress frowned. "I doubt it, but I _have_ been told that I have a common face."

"Not at all, Ministress Irina!" Annabeth ventured, her eyes yelling at me to shut my mouth," You have a very unique demeanor!"

Annabeth's compliments failed in warming Irina Spasky's cold heart. "Chase, Chase, Chase," she chided. "Your father annoyed me, you annoy me. Take a hint from your dear mother and wise up!" Thunder crackled in the distance.

Irina frowned. "Oh, calm down," she muttered.

Annabeth looked ready to protest, but she found that she couldn't; Irina had cast a manicured hand in her direction and cried, "_Imperio_!" Annabeth would have gasped, as I did, but she didn't seem to be in control of her own self. All of a sudden, she collapsed with a sickening thud.

"What was that?" I shrieked.

Irina chuckled. "Don't worry, she's merely asleep."

"How-how?" I managed to sputter. Even I couldn't produce a passable sleeping hieroglyph, and this Ministress was a Squib!

"I am not," Irina snorted.

"What?" I asked, confused.

"I assure you, I am not a Squib." She smiled wickedly.

"But, but Annabeth said-"I began.

"Oh, posh. Just like her parents, the brat. Thinks she knows what goes on in subjects that don't concern her!" Irina shook her head heavily at my unconscious guardian.

"If you're not a Squib, why would people say so?" I asked stubbornly.

"Come, and I will explain. But first, I require something of you." Irina flicked her wrist toward the back of her office. The wall parted and a secret corridor appeared. I groaned.

"What, not impressive enough?" Irina asked.

"No, I'm just getting really tired of all this secrecy," I replied.

"Oh. Well then, about that requirement…" Irina stalked over to where I stood, next to Annabeth's frail body, and roughly grabbed my arm. She then seized my right hand and clasped it tightly in her own.

"Zia Rashid, will you make the Unbreakable Vow?" She stared me straight in the eye, her eyes cold and foreboding. I didn't ask how she knew my name (she had seemed to focus more on Annabeth earlier) or what an Unbreakable Vow was (it sounded pretty self-explanatory).

My pulse quickened under her metallic grip. "I will," I promised. Irina smiled darkly.

"Needless to say, there isn't anyone else present and conscious, I might add," her gaze drifted towards Annabeth," so, I myself will be our Bonder."

"Bonder?" I asked. Gods, all these wizarding terms were starting to get annoying.

"One who Binds," Irina supplied vaguely.

"I do not understand," I said.

Irina smiled again. "Hush."

I rolled my eyes, despite the fact that the woman before me terrified me.

"Will you, Zia Rashid, utter not a word to a single soul of the words that will shortly be passed between us?" Irina's glare was as icy as ever.

"You make this sound like a wedding vow," I commented.

Irina chuckled. "Just accept. Or decline. Your choice completely."

I wasn't so sure. The way she said 'decline' made me nervous.

_Accept_,whispered the voice in the back of my head.

_I know. And I can decide for myself, thanks_, I whispered back.

_So be it_. Was the reply.

Irina wordlessly placed the tips of her manicured fingernails of her left hand over our connected right hands, as if she already knew I would consent.

"I will." I declared, my voice barely audible.

"A slim stream of ribbon-like flame emerged from the thin spikes protruding from beneath her fingernails and fastened itself about our hands where it constricted not unlike a manacle.

I gasped; the tongue of fine flame scorched my wrist and fingers. If the pain registered for Irina, she didn't let it show. I let out a sigh of relief as the inflamed binding dissolved.

"Now then," Irina said, rubbing her right hand feverously with her left," shall we?" She turned toward the cave-like opening at the back of her office.

I instinctively reached for my wand in the back of my pocket as I followed her toward the mysterious corridor. Irina's eyes followed my wand enviously, but she didn't protest when I pulled it out defensively. The Ministress sealed the entrance once we were both in. I found that we were at the beginning of a hallway that one might think of as endless. I, of course, knew better; the Hall of Ages is much longer by comparison. However, where the Hall of Ages was covered in pictures and symbols, Irina's secretive passageway had blank walls as white as snow.

Irina led me down the hallway, our footsteps echoing restlessly. She waited for me to fall into step with her before she spoke. I could tell that this hall wasn't going to lead anywhere besides conversation, that would most likely be important, seeing as I've vowed not to tell anyone a single word that the Ministress speaks.

"Zia, I can tell that you are special. And because you are special, I am going to be telling you a few things. First things first, kindly ask your little friend to excuse herself from your mind," Irina ordered.

"Who?" I asked blankly.

"You know what I'm talking about, Zia. And I'm sure that Nephthys does, too."

"Uhhh…" My thoughts squirmed uncomfortably.

_Don't worry, I'll be back_. The back of my brain echoed.

"How?" I gaped. Not until lately had I even found out that I was hosting a goddess.

Irina winked at me. "It does help when you are skilled at Legimens."

"What is Legimens?" I asked.

"Simply, mind reading, if you will," she replied steadily.

"Alright, Miss… Ministress, I've seen a lot in my fourteen years, but I'm going to have to say that that's a bit farfetched." I glared at my wand. Was there a spell for mind-reading?

"Not if you're a witch," Irina responded knowingly.

I stared at her blankly. "Annabeth said that you are a Squib."

"How insulting." Irina shook her head distastefully. "I shattered my wand. I have the pieces." She waved her pointy nails menacingly.

"You put your broken wand under your nails?" I frowned, painfully imagining shoving bamboo shoots under my small fingernails.

"Of course!" Irina exclaimed, surprising me.

"Oh. Why did you shatter your wand, anyway?" I asked.

Irina folded her arms like she was cold as her walking slowed. "I was trying to end my life."

I gasped. "You would kill yourself?"

Irina shook her head. "Zia, there is a difference between killing yourself and ending your life on Earth."

"I am confused, Ms. Irina," I confessed.

Irina took a shaky breath. "My son died, Zia, when he was but nine years old. I didn't want to live without him, so I searched…" Irina was now hugging herself fiercely; for fear that she may fall apart.

"You searched, Ms. Irina?" I prompted her.

"I searched for my own and only," Irina mumbled. "Gods, this is harder to say than I would prefer, but, I couldn't destroy it. My wand was reduced to splinters.

"Your one and only _what_, Ministress Irina?" I persisted. I was beginning to feel slightly annoyed. Why tell me all of this useless information and clam up when a piece of her story deemed itself interesting?

Irina covered her face in her hands, ashamed of what she was about to say. "My horcrux."

**(Author's Note: I'm sorry if this is confusing... Like, _Why is Irina telling Zia all this?_ About that... I'm still working on it... Yeah... Anyway, thanks for reading, please review!)**


	8. Chapter 7 Mad

**(Author's Note: Hey, guys! Finally an update, eh? I was hoping to have this chapter, which I think is actually pretty good (for once), published on Christmas as a lil' present, but I had to get some peer editing done. Thank you so much Emmma (username not shown for the beta reader's reasons) for your help! :D Disclaimer: I do not own anything, except for my new socks. Please read and review!)**

Chapter 7

Mad

Needless to say, I was becoming quite aggravated by the endless use of wizarding terms by my recent acquaintances, so Irina's vague confession was enough to set my beans to broil. I didn't even really like beans, though Iskandar insisted on my ingestion of such a vile vegetable - or root, whatever it was. My knowledge was pointed reverently back towards battle tactics.

"Ministress Irina, please, if that piece of information was important, I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about. By Ra, what is a Horcrux?" I really tried not to raise my voice, but a vein was visibly twitching beneath my eye.

Irina's voice was muffled by her manicured hands. "Think of it as life support, godling. A cat, one with nine lives. I really don't want to get into the details. I was a Death Eater, hopelessly in love with one who was not. Please don't ask me to elaborate."

I blanched. Irina, this cold-hearted woman whom I had only just met – in love? I couldn't imagine it. I began to back away from the crumpled madwoman and wondered wildly how long it would take for me to run to Annabeth. Not that I could revive her, but I could certainly attempt what I had for Iskandar. I hoped that the conclusion I had made then would not be similar to when and if I could get to Annabeth.

"Erm, well…" I shifted my anxiously escaping feet.

"Oh, you weren't thinking of leaving, were you, Zia?" Irina stood up faster than I thought imaginable. "I wasn't quite done with our little chat."

"Annabeth!" I squealed, my voice edging hysteria. I stumbled backwards.

"She can't hear you, demigod," Irina cackled. There the word was again – demigod! Another wizarding term, I wasn't sure. The Ministress stepped closer to my horror-stricken self.

Let me be the first to admit: Irina Spasky made a coward of me. I turned tail and full out bolted down the hallway, to be closely followed by an insane Ministress. I soon came to realize, that the white hall was no longer straightforward in its supposed batch back to Annabeth. Instead, the corridor was winding and confusing, quite similar to a maze.

"Like it?" Irina cackled. "My dear friend Daedalus had it done for me. He built the Labyrinth, you know, what, eons ago?"

_Help me!_ My brain whined to my godly guest, and I found myself praying to my mother that she was there.

_Nephthys!_ Where was that goddess, anyway? Personally, if I myself were in her position, I would love to be in a Miss Zia Rashid's head all day. After all, that wonderful scribe was accepting my wishes to reside within her wondrous being.

I tore my wand from my back pocket, finally accepting that Nephthys was, in fact, not able to take my plea for help at that time. I was seriously thinking about leaving a message… Ba-da-ching. Oh, who was I kidding myself, my fright was giving me these awful jokes! Which, never happens on a good day for me, in case you were wondering.

A list of Egyptian words and spells flew through my head as I rushed through the maze of blank walls. Or maybe not as blank as I thought. I stopped running when I felt that I was at a safe distance from Irina and examined a repetitive impression on the white walls.

A crest, similar to a flower in the way that four small pieces breached from a centerpiece, which was a calligraphy letter C. The first outreaching article was like that of a dragon, taking flight. Down and to the right, clockwise, presented a sharply-clawed bear, coming in for the kill. To the left of the bolded letter C, the wall formed a canine of sorts, possibly a wolf. But it was the indentation directly south of the C that held my attention: two serpents entwined around a sword – the symbol upon the Ministress's metallic office door!

Going out on a wild whim, I brought myself to utter the wizarding spell that cost my parents' (well, maybe not my mother's, according to my recent dreams) lives. "Alohomora," I whispered as I lightly pushed the twin snakes' formation with my ivory wand.

The crest burned red, and I feared the ghosts of my nightmares, who could and probably would kill me. Soon, the wall beneath the snakes was a dim, softly glowing red. I watched in awe as the red seeped into the floor and under my footprints.

Meanwhile, Nephthys seemed to have decided to lend a helping hand. _Seek_, she urged.

So I did, in Egyptian hieroglyphics, of course. If I could recall correctly from Iskandar's private lessons, the charm for seeking direction would translate to something like "Point Me", but I was having a hard time remembering.

I spread my wand hand wide with my wand placed atop and watched it spin. I had rarely used this spell before, and that was only because I had lost my way when creating a portal.

My ivory wand only ceased twirling when it pointed north. If I was remembering correctly, Irina's office was in the southern area of her floor. I wasn't sure if I should have pinned the fact that the southern location of the Ministress's office and the snake crest had an uncanny sameness.

So, if my wand was pointing north, the path back to Irina's office should be – _South_, Nephthys whispered within my mind.

_Thank you, Useful Goddess_, I replied. I took one hesitant step south, my eyes flicking fervently from my wand to the corridor before me. I found that I didn't have to have my eyes swivel from ivory to white paint; the dull red that the crest had produced created an arrow to show me the right way. _South_, I mumbled to my godly guest, _South_.

* * *

I forced my wand back into my pocket and let the buzzing red arrows do all the work for me. On second thought, I took my wand out again, and cast it over myself to make myself invisible, and held it in my hand. I felt that I could never be too secure with this madwoman chasing me around. To my delight, my red footprints dissolved, too, making me extremely untraceable.

I followed the red arrows through the winding corridor. I really, really hoped that what I had been thinking was a brilliant discovery on my part, was a safe way back to Annabeth, and away from Irina.

"I can sense you, though I cannot see you!" I heard the sinister Ministress yell from somewhere behind me. I dared to look back; bad choice. A beam of red light exploded from the corner I had just turned. The beam shot so close to my invisible face that I swear to Ra that my left eyebrow will never be the same. I could only stumble against an adjacent wall as quietly as I could.

I jumped awat from the wall and chased the arrows away from Irina. Though I knew it would take an unhealthy amount of power out of my already faint body, I sent some ribbons back at the Ministress. My aim appeared to be good; Ms. Spasky screamed in rage behind me.

_Be done, already_! My thoughts echoed through my brain as I thought of the awfully lengthy puzzle that was Irina's secret corridor, looking for some godly help. Again, Nephthys heard me. The white hall branched back into the Ministress's office and I tumbled towards Annabeth noisily. She wasn't alone.

"What was that?" A small girl with a British accent whipped her head around to the general direction of my invisible self. The girl had perfect cinnamon-colored skin, and I glared at my own rough callus-ridden claws. Her silky brown hair hung about her exotic-featured face as if she were an angel, one of Ra's personal servants, on Earth.

"Never mind that. You carry antidotes around with you, do you not?" a boy next to her with an identical accent said. He was crouched over Annabeth, examining her unconscious face.

I stepped forward self-consciously. "Awaken," I murmured hopefully.

Annabeth's eyes opened wide, and they locked with my invisible ones, as did the young girl's, and those of who I supposed were her brother's. I had an uncanny feeling that the boy could see me. I gasped.

He was the boy from my dream. For some reason, I think he recognized me, too.

"Who or what are you?" the gorgeous girl asked stubbornly.

I took a step forward and dropped my invisibility. "...Zia Rashid." I turned to the boy that stood next to her. "And you are Odion, my brother."

**(Author's Note: Special thanks to Emmma! Love ya! Thank you all for reading, please review!)**


	9. Chapter 9 An Announcement, My Dears

Due to the recent events in the lives of a Mr. and Ms. Kane, our dears Carter and Sadie, my story, _Other Beliefs_, has been left not making much sense. More so, my main character, Zia, is given quite an interesting story in Mr. Rick Riordan's latest in the Kane Chronicles series, _The Throne of Fire_. An excellent read, if I do say so myself. If you have yet to indulge yourself in Mr. Riordan's most recent masterpiece, I encourage you to do so! It's incredible – increasingly better than the first.

As _OB_ – not to be confused with BO, of course – fails to make much sense in the grand scheme of fictional time, I have decided **not** to delete it. Shocking, yes? Well, kudos to me for being responsible; God knows when the last time that happened. Instead of deleting _OB_, I have chosen I will rewrite it so it fits Mr. Riordan's sequel. I hope to still keep some facts intact, as I'd hate to lose Irina Spasky as Ministress of Magic. I believe I'll write that as just Minister in the future, as my computer blatantly claims that there is no such word as Ministress. Oh, shush, SpellCheck. I'll deal with you later. _Grr_.

Anyhow, I am breaking these words of mine up strategically, so as not to make you FanFictioneers feel like you are reading a message that goes on and on and on. Nonetheless from _me_, your raving socialist. To be quite frank, I'm very proud of myself for writing so much so far! Alas, I have to vacate the office area, as I have to wake up early tomorrow.

Farewell and Happy Writing, my friends!


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